Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/05—Stirrers
  • B01F27/11—Stirrers characterised by the configuration of the stirrers
  • B01F27/113—Propeller-shaped stirrers for producing an axial flow, e.g. shaped like a ship or aircraft propeller
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
  • B01F23/53—Mixing liquids with solids using driven stirrers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/50—Mixing liquids with solids
  • B01F23/51—Methods thereof
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/05—Stirrers
  • B01F27/11—Stirrers characterised by the configuration of the stirrers
  • B01F27/111—Centrifugal stirrers, i.e. stirrers with radial outlets; Stirrers of the turbine type, e.g. with means to guide the flow
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F27/00—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders
  • B01F27/80—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis
  • B01F27/81—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis the stirrers having central axial inflow and substantially radial outflow
  • B01F27/813—Mixers with rotary stirring devices in fixed receptacles; Kneaders with stirrers rotating about a substantially vertical axis the stirrers having central axial inflow and substantially radial outflow the stirrers co-operating with stationary guiding elements

Definitions

• the disclosure generally relates to an apparatus and methods for mixing and pumping solids and fluids, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, apparatus and methods for mixing and pumping solids and fluids including use of a slinger having a top surface with a convex or spline type shape.
• viscous aqueous fluids are commonly used in treating subterranean wells, as well as carrier fluids.
• Such fluids may be used as fracturing fluids, acidizing fluids, and high-density completion fluids.
• well fracturing such fluids are used to initiate and propagate underground fractures for increasing petroleum productivity.
• fluids pumped into the subterranean formation can include solids such as proppant mixed with a fluid such as an aqueous gel.
• a fluid such as an aqueous gel.
• Such proppant-containing fluids are mixed in a blender including a slinger and a pump impeller, each attached to a drive shaft and enclosed within a casing.
• fluids containing elevated levels of solids have been used resulting in substantial increases in wear and tear on the blender internals and resulting in decreased mixing and pumping efficiency.
• a blender including: a casing defining a cavity and having a top casing surface and a bottom casing surface; a drive shaft extending through a casing opening into the cavity; a slinger having an outer edge, a center, a bottom slinger surface facing the bottom casing surface, a top slinger surface facing the top casing surface, and a plurality of slinger blades extending upwardly from the top slinger surface, wherein the slinger is attached to the drive shaft, and wherein the height of the top slinger surface above the bottom slinger surface continuously increases from the outer edge to the center; and an impeller having a bottom impeller surface facing the bottom casing surface and a plurality of impeller blades extending downwardly from the bottom impeller surface, wherein the impeller is positioned below the slinger and is attached to the drive shaft.
• a slinger and impeller assembly includes: a drive shaft; a slinger having an outer edge, a center, a bottom slinger surface, a top slinger surface, and a plurality of slinger blades extending upwardly from the top slinger surface, wherein the slinger is attached to the drive shaft, and wherein the height of the top slinger surface above the bottom slinger surface continuously increases from the outer edge to the center; and an impeller having a bottom impeller surface and a plurality of impeller blades extending downwardly from the bottom impeller surface, wherein the impeller is positioned below the slinger and is attached to the drive shaft.
• a method includes utilizing the above described blender by introducing a proppant into a top casing opening defined by the top casing surface for contact with the top slinger surface, introducing a fluid to the impeller, mixing the proppant and the fluid to form a mixture, and discharging the mixture through an outlet of the blender.
• Figure 1 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in side view and cross section.
• Figure 2 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in side view and cross section.
• Figure 2A depicts a bottom plan view of blender 100 of Figure 2 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figure 3 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in side view.
• Figure 4 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in side view.
• Figure 5 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in top view.
• Figure 6A depicts an open impeller in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figure 6B depicts a semi-open impeller in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figure 6C depicts a closed impeller in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figure 7 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in bottom view.
• Figure 8 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in side view.
• Figure 9 illustrates some embodiments in accordance with the disclosure in top view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• any references to "one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment.
• the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.
• Some aspects of the disclosure relate to apparatus for, and methods for, mixing solids and fluids.
• the blender 100 can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of a: i) casing 102 defining a cavity 104 and having a top casing surface 106 and a bottom casing surface 108, a fluid entry 109 defined by bottom casing surface 108, a top casing opening 1 12 defined by top casing surface 106, and a slurry discharge 1 13; ii) a drive shaft 1 10 extending through a casing opening into the cavity 104 (shown as drive shaft 10 extending through top casing opening 1 12 in Figure 1 , and shown in Figure 2 as drive shaft 10 extending through opening 1 14 defined by a fluid inlet conduit 109A connected in fluid flow communication with bottom casing opening 109); iii) a slinger 1 16 having an outer edge 1 18, a center 120, a bottom slinger surface 122 facing the bottom casing surface 108, a top slinger surface 124 facing the top casing surface 106, and a
• the drive shaft 1 10 When the drive shaft 1 10 extends through the opening 1 14, as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 2A, which is a bottom view of blender 100, the drive shaft 1 10 is in sealing engagement with fluid inlet conduit 109A while still allowing free rotation of the drive shaft 1 10.
• the slinger blades 126 of the slinger 1 16 can be open to the top casing surface 106 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or can be at least partially closed off to the top casing surface 106 (not shown, but with a configuration similar to the closed impeller shown in Figure 6C).
• the slinger blades 126 are shown having an upper surface parallel to the top casing surface 106, but can have any configuration between parallel to the top slinger surface 124 up to parallel to the top casing surface 106.
• Figure 3 shows a side view of the slinger 1 16 and impeller 128 wherein the impeller is secured to the slinger.
• the top slinger surface 124 can have a convex shape as shown in Figures 1 -3.
• A is the height of the top slinger surface 124 above the bottom slinger surface 122 at or near the center 120 of the slinger 1 16
• B is the height of the top slinger surface 124 above the bottom slinger surface 122 at or near the outer edge 1 18 of the slinger 1 16
• the ratio of A to B is up to about 20: 1 or up to about 10: 1 or up to about 5: 1 .
• the slinger 1 16 can further comprise breathing holes 131 providing passage ways for entrained air to pass out of the top casing opening 1 12 (as shown in Figures 1 and 2) of blender 100.
• the term “at or near” for the "center 120" and the “outer edge 1 18", as used herein, can range up to a distance of 5% or 10% of the radius of the slinger 1 16.
• Figure 4 shows a side view of the slinger 1 16 and impeller 128 wherein the top slinger surface 124 is depicted as having a spline-type shape.
• the area of the top casing opening 1 12 in the top casing surface 106 can be from about 15% to about 60% or from about 25% to about 50% or from about 35% to about 40% of the total area of the top casing surface 106.
• the blender when the drive shaft 1 10 extends downwardly through the top casing opening 1 12 into the cavity as shown in Figure 1 , the blender can further comprise a hub 134 attached to the top slinger surface 124; wherein the drive shaft 1 10 can be attached to the hub 134 and the impeller 128 can be attached to the slinger 1 16 (as shown in Figures 3 and 4).
• the plurality of slinger blades 126 can each have an inner end which is substantially tangential to an inner circumference (indicated by the arrow) of the top slinger surface 124.
• C is a vertical distance from any point along the top of the plurality of slinger blades 126 to the top casing surface 106 and D is a distance at a corresponding horizontal point from the top of the plurality of slinger blades 126 to the top slinger surface 124.
• Figure 1 shows the distances at one particular point, but it should be understood that the distances C and D can be measured at any point along the top of the plurality of slinger blades 126.
• the ratio of C to D can be between about 0.1 : 1 to about 2:1 or from about 0.1 : 1 to about 1 .5: 1 or from about 0.5: 1 to about 1 : 1 .
• the impeller 128 can be selected from the group consisting of: an open impeller (depicted in Figure 6a), a semi-open impeller (depicted in Figure 6b), and a closed impeller (depicted in Figure 6c).
• Open impellers comprise blades attached to a drive shaft
• semi-open impellers are constructed with a circular plate (the web) attached to one side of the blades
• enclosed impellers have circular plates attached to both sides of the blades.
• Enclosed impellers can also be referred to as shrouded impellers.
• the impeller 128 can further comprise a bottom plate 129 attached to the bottom of the impeller blades 132, and a plurality of pump out vanes 136 extending from the bottom plate 129 toward the bottom casing surface 108; E is a distance from the bottom surface of the pump out vanes 136 to the bottom casing surface 108; F is a distance from the bottom surface of the pump out vanes 136 to the bottom plate 129; and the ratio of E to F is at most about 2.5: 1 or at most 2.0: 1 or at most 1 .5: 1 .
• the slinger 1 16 can further comprise a substantially flat edge 138 extending radially from the outer edge 1 18 and comprising a substantially flat edge top surface 140, wherein the height of the substantially flat edge top surface 140 above the bottom slinger surface 122 is within 5% or 3% or 2% of the height of the top slinger surface 124 above the bottom slinger surface 122 at the outer edge 1 18; and wherein the width of the substantially flat edge 138 is at most 50% or at most 35% or at most 25% of the radius of the slinger 1 16.
• a method for mixing a solid with a fluid can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of: utilizing a blender 100 in accordance with any of the above described embodiments; introducing a solid into the top casing opening 1 12; introducing a fluid to the impeller 128 through bottom casing opening 109; mixing the solid with the fluid thereby forming a mixture; and discharging the mixture from the blender through slurry discharge 1 13.
• the solid can comprise a solid component selected from the group consisting of a proppant, a powder, a fiber, and combinations thereof; and the fluid can comprise a fluid component selected from the group consisting of water, a gel, and combinations thereof.
• entrained air in the mixture can be drawn through the breathing holes 131 depicted in Figure 3 and escape the blender 100 through the top casing opening 1 12 depicted in Figures 1 and 2.
• first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
• Spatially relative terms such as “inner,” “outer,”, “center”, “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “top,” “bottom” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Mixers Of The Rotary Stirring Type (AREA)
• Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)

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• 2015
  • 2015-03-25 US US14/668,032 patent/US10173184B2/en active Active
  • 2015-11-26 AR ARP150103896A patent/AR102846A1/es unknown
• 2016
  • 2016-03-17 WO PCT/US2016/022733 patent/WO2016153883A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2016-03-17 CA CA2980731A patent/CA2980731C/en active Active

Patent Citations (5)

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